Friday, December 21, 2018

The Road to Success Poster from an original drawing issued by the National Cash Register Co. to point the road to business success. It originally appeared in THE ETUDE music magazine, published October 1913 and includes some of the unique language and jargons of the time. Great inspirational and motivational tool/gift for anyone, especially young people starting out, new businesses and anyone seeking success (aren’t we all?).. Just follow the ‘Road to Success,’ making sure not to fall prey to ‘bohemianism,’ shiftlessness’ or one of the many other pitfalls along the way. Don’t lose time at the ‘Hotel Know It All’ or ‘Mutual Admiration Society’ waiting for compliments such as ‘Caruso can’t touch you’ or ‘You’ll set the world on fire.’ Once you reach the ‘Gate of Ideals’ you’ve nearly reached the big zither of success.
An allegorical map of the road to success. A host of shortcomings and mistakes including "Bohemianism," "Misrepresentation", "Lack of Preparation", "Bad Business Methods", and "Weak Morals" lead to "Oblivion", and the "River of Failure". But those who adopt the "Right System", attain "True Knowledge", and pass through the "Gate of Ideals", the golden lyre of Success beckons.

This prize is achieved by first entering the Gate of Opportunity. People are running through, but some have already settled in to the sit-down life of ease and comfort in what looks like the Beer Garden of Bohemianism.

Some manage to pass by those delights to check in to the Hotel Know It All, because they hold to mottoes such as Nobody can tell me, or I don’t need to practice, or I’m a born genius, or yet: I don’t need a system.

Similarly misguided cries are heard on the patio of the Mutual Admiration Society: You’re the Hit of the Age, You’ll Set the World on Fire, You’re a Wonder My Boy, or (my favorite): Caruso Can’t Touch You.

Those who avoid those three establishments of ill repute might still fall victim to the deep, dark well of Illiteracy, or the spinning, disorienting wheel of Conceit. A select few manage to board the train called Right System at the Railroad Station.

That doesn’t stop some from running along the rail track towards Success, only to succumb to the ugly hand of Vices, the spinning fan of Bad Habits (blowing its victims towards Oblivion), or the pitfall of Bad Reputation. Others fall prey to Charlatanism, or get tangled up in the webs of Jealousy and Do It Tomorrow.

Those who overcome all these perils will enter the gates of System. But while the train crosses a bridge across the river Failure, those on foot are threatened by the Cauldron of Misrepresentation, and tempted by Short Cuts.

Some do manage to wade across the river to the other side, but there must overcome Bad Temper, Carelessness, Shiftlessness and Bad Memory. Then there’s Lack of Preparation, a giant rock which the train can tunnel through effortlessly, while the surviving pedestrians must trek across it.

Sprees, Laziness and Bad Business Methods then still threaten them, until at last they come before two gates, the one for Weak Morals remaining forever closed, the Gate of Ideals open to the train (and some on foot).

Conclusion: you can be successful without adopting the Right System, but your chances are far smaller. And you’ll have to make a lot bigger effort to get there.

Saturday, December 8, 2018

This is the best message I have heard on how Christians should think about and relate to homosexuals. The whole series is almost two hours long but it is well worth the time to listen.

It was given at Fellowship Denver Church on July 13, 2012. The title of the series is: Romans Forum: The Bible, The Church, & Homosexuality.

Here is what they said about it:

Homosexuality is one of the most difficult modern issues for churches that want to be faithful to Scripture and love people well. Whether it personally affects each of us or not, it is good to wrestle through this issue because it touches on many aspects of Scripture’s teaching and our understanding of the gospel. In other words, this issue tends to demonstrate how skillfully (or not!) we understand and live out Scripture as a unified whole.